Tennessee State's Ogundeko Selected as OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Published: July 15, 2016

OgundekoTennessee State defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko has been selected as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Football Media Poll. Media covering the OVC cast a ballot on who they thought would be 2016 football favorites and preseason players of the year. This is the third year that the media poll has been conducted.

The OVC will release its preseason poll and All-OVC team, as voted on by league head coaches and sports information directors, on Monday during the league's annual Media Day in Nashville.

The media panel picked the Jacksonville State Gamecocks as the preseason favorite, picking up all 16 first-place votes and 144 total points. Eastern Kentucky (119) was tabbed second, seven points ahead of Eastern Illinois (112). UT Martin (99) was picked fourth and followed by Southeast Missouri (66), Tennessee State (65), Murray State (56), Tennessee Tech (38) and Austin Peay (21).

In addition the pollsters tabbed Jacksonville State senior quarterback Eli Jenkins as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year with Ogundeko, a Clemson transfer, getting defensive honors.